The Unlikely Success of Graeme Base's 'Too Difficult' Picture Books
In the world of children's literature, there exists a fascinating paradox: sometimes the books adults believe children won't enjoy – those considered too challenging, too peculiar, or too verbose – become the most beloved classics. Graeme Base, the Australian author and illustrator, has made this paradox his speciality, creating works that defy conventional publishing wisdom while capturing imaginations worldwide.
Creating Without Rules: The Base Philosophy
Graeme Base admits with characteristic humour that he had "no idea what he was doing" when he began creating his now-iconic picture books. This lack of conventional knowledge became his greatest strength, allowing him to break rules that more experienced creators might have followed religiously. His approach to typography in Animalia serves as perfect evidence – he embedded text directly into illustrations, something publishers typically discourage for translation purposes. "You're not supposed to do that!" Base laughs, recalling how he blissfully ignored standard publishing practices.
Animalia: An Alphabet Book Like No Other
When Base first conceived Animalia, his second picture book, even he doubted its potential. "I was thinking, what an idiot – as if the world needs another English-language alphabet book," he remembers. Yet this was no ordinary alphabet book. Packed with opulent, detailed illustrations and extravagant alliterative phrases like "Victor V. Vulture, the vaudeville ventriloquist, versatile virtuoso of vociferous verbosity", it presented vocabulary that would make many publishers hesitate today.
Base's philosophy was simple yet revolutionary: "You shoot above a child's head, and encourage them to rise to the occasion." His editor at Penguin Australia, Bob Sessions, embraced this approach, asking none of the typical questions about target age groups or vocabulary difficulty. This creative freedom resulted in a book that has sold five million copies globally and continues to captivate new generations.
The Eleventh Hour: A Mystery That Challenges Readers
Following Animalia's success, Base created The Eleventh Hour, a picture book mystery featuring an elephant's birthday party where all the food disappears at eleven o'clock. The book contains fiendishly difficult puzzles including ciphers, morse code, and symbols hidden throughout the illustrations – even in the page margins. Originally conceived with a darker Christie-inspired plot involving a poisoned dog, Sessions wisely suggested a more child-friendly mystery focused on stolen food.
Penguin initially underestimated the book's appeal, including a card readers could return for puzzle solutions. "They got so many of these cards, it was like a nightmare," Base recalls. "They had to employ several people just to deal with this massive problem we'd set." Later editions included sealed solutions at the back, and one puzzle – the swan's name – remains officially unsolved, with Base offering only cryptic clues to dedicated solvers.
From Advertising Failure to International Success
Base's path to children's book stardom was anything but conventional. After studying graphic design and working briefly in advertising – "which he didn't love" – he was fired from his third job in eighteen months. Gathering the art he'd created "for my own sanity" after hours, he began approaching publishers. His breakthrough came when he showed his work to Penguin's Bob Sessions, who immediately recognised his unique talent.
Base never intended to become a children's book author. "I could have very happily been a record cover designer," he confesses. "I didn't want to be a writer. I just wanted to draw ... and it figured that there'd be stories which needed illustrating." This pure focus on visual storytelling, unburdened by traditional literary concerns, became the foundation of his distinctive style.
Global Recognition and Lasting Legacy
The international success of Animalia arrived suddenly and dramatically. After Abrams art books took on the title despite not publishing children's books, Base found himself booked on Good Morning America during a round-the-world trip. The 1986 release of Crocodile Dundee had boosted Australia's cultural cachet in America, and Base's simple "G'day" greeting charmed host Charlie Gibson, who delivered an impromptu hard sell that Base couldn't have managed himself.
Animalia reached number five on the New York Times bestseller list and earned a billboard on Sunset Boulevard. "It just changed my life," Base reflects. "It's all been steadily downhill from there, you understand, but it was a wonderful thing to have happen." Both Animalia and The Eleventh Hour have recently been selected by Guardian readers among the fifty best Australian picture books ever published – a testament to their enduring appeal across generations.
Base expresses genuine surprise at his books' longevity. "So few books manage to stick for another generation," he notes. "Now it's done another generation again; there's grandparents buying these books who got it when they were kids. Which is really, really weird!" His works continue to prove that children embrace complexity when presented with creativity and respect for their intelligence – a lesson modern publishing would do well to remember.
